Giggs is becoming more famous as a legal case study than he ever was as a footballer, says Ruth Dudley Edwards

'What are Ryan Giggs?' enquired a texter to a news programme last week. That listener, like millions of others around the globe, might never have heard of Giggs had the misfortunate eejit not fallen into the hands of lawyers. And not just any old lawyers, but Schillings, the leader in the legal field of what is delicately described as 'reputation management'.

'What are Ryan Giggs?' enquired a texter to a news programme last week. That listener, like millions of others around the globe, might never have heard of Giggs had the misfortunate eejit not fallen into the hands of lawyers. And not just any old lawyers, but Schillings, the leader in the legal field of what is delicately described as 'reputation management'.

The Schillings website explains: 'We protect those in the public eye from unwarranted intrusions into their personal lives.' And, goodness me, they do so enthusiastically. Founder Keith Schilling is proud to be known as 'The Silencer'.

I had a letter from Schillings once which lived up to the firm's macho reputation. It warned me that there would be hell to pay if in the book I was writing on the Omagh bombing I made certain allegations about someone I will call X. I was so enraged at the implication that I planned to peddle scandal that I became seriously tempted to include what I had never intended to include. But in the end, I replied frostily and accurately that X had merely a walk-on part in the story and that they were wrong if they thought I would respond to threats.

Please sign in or register with Independent.ie for free access to Opinions.